Seasoning with Season: It all begins with the addition of salt

Wednesday

Jan 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM

I recently received an email from a reader regarding seasoning foods. The reader said that despite scouring cookbooks and other sources, he could not find proper explanations. I would like to take this opportunity to explain a few things about how to properly season your foods, as well as a few tips on herbs and spices.

By Season SteppFor the Herald-Journal

I recently received an email from a reader regarding seasoning foods. The reader said that despite scouring cookbooks and other sources, he could not find proper explanations. I would like to take this opportunity to explain a few things about how to properly season your foods, as well as a few tips on herbs and spices.At Charleston Cooks! in Greenville, I teach several types of cooking classes. In the participation classes, I am side-by-side with participants, showing them how to season foods the way I was taught: by tasting. In just one night last week, I had four people in my class say to me, “The recipe says to ‘season to taste' but I don't know what it is supposed to taste like.”One of the best parts of teaching is seeing the realization from one of my student's faces when they learn to season to perfection.Think back to a diagram of a tongue from junior high health class: The sides of our tongues detect sourness, sweet on the tip, salty a little farther back, and bitter and heat in the very back of the tongue. When seasoning to taste, one must consider all aspects of one's tongue.The most important aspect, as well as ingredient, to consider here is salt. Let me say that I have had aspirations of writing an entire column on salt for quite a while, but there is so much information, I fear it would be exhausting to write and possibly too tedious to read. That being said, I would like to explain a little bit about salt. (Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor nor nutritionist. My information comes from my experience and studies.)Salt is not used in cooking to make foods taste salty; it is used to make foods taste more like themselves. Some of our taste buds won't even wake up until there is salt present. Therefore, if you are not adding salt to your foods, chances are you are not tasting all that your grub has to offer.I must suggest that first you immediately toss your iodized table salt and replace it with kosher or sea salt. There are several reasons for this, but most importantly, from a culinary standpoint, kosher (or sea) salt is much more user-friendly when it comes to cooking. It has more surface area and, in turn, dissolves more efficiently in the dish: you will use less of these salts than iodized salt. Additionally, kosher/sea salts are not treated with chemicals or stripped of their natural trace minerals.Many people fear salt in their foods, but according to my research, unless you already have blood pressure issues or hypertension, there is no need to skip out on salt. Your body not only requires salt to survive, but you might also find yourself craving salt not for the sodium, but for the trace minerals found within. So keep in mind that the flavors and mineral contents of sea salts will vary depending on where the salts were harvested. Kosher salts are fairly consistent, with the exception of texture variances from brand to brand.Also, I should note that kosher salt does not cooperate well with salt shakers. If pulverized in a food processor or coffee grinder, it becomes clumpy and a little difficult to work with. I suggest keeping your kosher salt in a small container, easily accessible for the pinching, or better yet, in something called a Salt Pig.My salt pig, made by Emile Henry (pronounced “Ee-meal On-ree”) is one of my favorite kitchen accessories. It is unglazed clay on the inside which absorbs moisture to prevent clumpy salt. It is also a really neat addition to your kitchen and makes a nifty conversation piece.

My first seriously eye-opening salting experience was in culinary school. I was tasting a butternut squash soup with my chef. No biggie — until he kept pushing. A little salt, sure, the soup was tasty. A little more, OK, still good. Then all of a sudden, BAM! My world changed. With that last addition of salt, all the flavors from the soup exploded into being. I could taste each ingredient, each spice, even the subtle nuances of tiny recipe additives. From that day forward, I understood the importance of seasoning to taste, then tasting again. Thank you, Chef William Phillips.No recipe can tell you exactly how much or how little salt to use; only your taste buds can tell you that. Some people are a little more sensitive to salt than others, but as long as you go easy and taste as you go, chances are you won't oversalt your dish. That being said, if you ever find that the salt is a little much, try adding dairy (butter, cream, yogurt, etc.) to cut the salt and adjust from there.Now let's talk heat. I am weak when it comes to spicy food. I do, however, recognize the importance of the balance of flavors. If a dish is overly spicy, the heat tends to overpower all other ingredients and flavors. (Not to mention your protesting tongue.) When seasoning for heat, add a small amount of freshly ground black pepper (use a peppermill or spice grinder; please, no pre-ground pepper product), or a chile sauce that is not vinegar-based, such as Sriracha, an Asian-style hot sauce which can be found at nearly all grocery stores (look for the rooster on the bottle). Taste the dish, wait a few seconds, and notice if you feel any heat in the back of your throat. If after about 30 seconds, still nothing, add a little more and repeat.OK, now that we've covered the basic salt and pepper, let's head to herbs and spices.In culinary uses, herbs are most often the leaves, stems and flowers of plants, whereas the bark, seeds, pods, roots, berries and even sap are usually referred to as spices. Fresh herbs can enhance any recipe and add a brilliant burst of flavor to all foods. When choosing cut or packaged herbs at the grocery store, buy those with healthy, green leaves. Yellowing of the leaves or slimy herbs should be avoided. However, buying herbs as you need them for a recipe can get very expensive. For the cost of herbs at the grocery store, you can usually buy a small plant that will continue to produce throughout the season and possibly throughout the year. If you heed my advice, I suggest having a small herb garden or window box.If you are going to stew, braise, slow-cook, etc., you'll want to use dry herbs instead of fresh. For long cooking times, dry is best because it has time to release its pent-up flavor; in the same application, fresh herbs would wither and fade unless added at the very end. Another good use for dry herbs is an herb rub. Combine any combination of dried herbs, spices and a bit of oil, and you have a perfect coating for a roasted, baked or grilled item.When it comes to spices, we all have a random collection of little canisters, but what should you have and why should you have them? I can't tell you exactly which spices you should have because that would depend on how experimental you are in the kitchen and what ethnicities you prefer to cook.When available, always buy whole spices and grind them yourself. Not only will you notice a serious difference in flavor, but your whole spices will last longer than ground. Get the most out of your money by buying whole spices in bulk and grinding them as needed. Many health food stores and some flea markets will sell spices in as small or as large of a quantity as you desire. Store your spices in airtight containers and keep them in a cool, dark place. After six months to a year, trash pre-ground spices. Whole spices can last two to three years. Keep in mind that most spices are dried seeds, and seeds contain oils. When oil or fat is exposed to air, the oxidation will eventually turn the oil rancid. Once a spice is ground, it comes in contact with air, thus drastically reducing its shelflife. Yeah, I know you all have tins and jars of spices from World War II that have crusted over in your cupboard. Sorry to disappoint, but it's time to let them go. It might sound like a task, but when you buy spices, grab a Sharpie and jot the month and year on the bottom.When cooking with spices, experimentation and preferences will dictate the amounts to be used. If you are uneasy or uncomfortable with experimentation, start by following a recipe, then adjusting to taste as you feel more comfortable. Many spices are best when first toasted. For example, if making a Mexican recipe, you might want to first toast cumin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant. Once toasted, transfer to a spice grinder (aka coffee grinder) or mortar and pestle. Grind the cumin and return it to the pan later in the recipe. If making an Indian dish, add cracked coriander seed and curry powder to sautéing onions and garlic. Many spices are what is called “oil soluble” or “fat soluble,” meaning their flavors will be released at their peak when toasted in a small amount of oil. Alternatively, some spices, such as vanilla bean pods, are best bloomed in alcohol while saffron threads release the floral aroma when steeped in water or stock.I hope this explanation has helped to shed some light on the mystery of seasoning your foods. Stay tuned next week when I will help explain pairing certain herbs and spices with the different foods of the world. If you have any further questions, I suggest reading any of the myriad of books on the topics of herbs and spices, or one of my favorite resources “On Food and Cooking” by Harold McGee.